Vholdr ContourHD 1080p

It’s here at last: my comparison of VHoldR’s ContourHD 720p and new 1080p helmet camcorders, in which I give both cams the thrashings they so richly deserve—and then I tell you to buy one.

Both the VHoldRs are quicky and often frustrating little cameras, but they are also capable of capturing amazing results. For the full scoop on my ire and angst, please see my ContourHD 1080p Review.

Volkl Gotama

Since it’s been only five years since I’ve done any ski reviews, I made an extra effort this past week to add something new.

While in Telluride I demoed three Volkls: the Mantra, The Gotama, and the Bridge (spoiler: I ended up taking a pair of Gotamas home).

First up: the Mantra. Impressive is the word that comes to mind.

The Mantra really is an all-mountain masterpiece, capable of chopping through practically anything. But it is the Mantra’s capability on hard snow that really gets your attention. Edge grip is astounding for such a wide plank, and the feel is (relatively) stiff and snappy underfoot. Yes, you can run the Mantra as a one-ski quiver, from powder to hardpack to crud. And pity the poor fools on their narrow carvers who are trying to chase you. I say the Mantra is the perfect ski for old schoolers who want something wide for powder days without having to relearn how to ski.

On the other hand, there is a Big Idea sweeping through ski design, and its name is Rocker. The legendary Shane McConkey is credited with bringing rockered skis to market (some say this is his greatest contribution to the sport), and let there be no doubt, the rockered revolution is every bit as significant as the advent of shaped skis. Crusty old school bastard that I am, I still wanted to try a modern, progressive powder ski, so I chose Volkl’s Gotama, fully fearful that I’d hate these shiny new-fangled things as I generally almost always hate anything new.

On hardpack, you’re not totally hosed with the Gotamas, which is something of a triumph in rockered ski design. But get the Gotamas in soft, deep powder, and it’s like a lightbulb going off in your soul. If you’re going to get a dedicated powder ski, give these serious consideration. The Gotama is as superior to the Mantra in powder as the Mantra is better on hard snow. Either way, watch the evolution of rockered skis carefully. They are here to stay.

The Bridge seemed better in concept to me than in actuality. The ski “bridges” the gap between Big Mountain and Park skiing. In practice, it’s a twin tip that sits between the Gotama and the Mantra. I was hoping for a lighter, snappier version of the Mantra with good powder chops. Instead, the Bridge is lethargic on hardpack, and minimally better in deep snow. Park riders may find it perfectly suited to rails and half pipes, but everyone else probably will want to look elsewhere when it comes to skiing the rest of the mountain.

I’d been thinking about getting this shot ever since I first bought my ContourHD helmet cam: a continous clip skiing Telluride from the top of the Revelation chairlift, elevation 12,570′, all the way down to the Gondola station in the Town of Telluride, elevation 8,750′. Getting the shot proved trickier than expected, thanks to the weather and the many quirks of the ContourHD cam, but I love the result.

This is probably my favorite in-bounds ski run on the planet. Sure, there’s a bit of catwalk travel on the upper parts of See Forever until you pass Chair 9, but the flat sections just contribute to the run’s appeal, as they allow you to better enjoy the views of the spectacular San Juan mountains. And there are plenty of steep, groomed sections to let the boards run—culminating in the warp-speed fun of Milk Run or Coonskin. Finally, if I’m skiing this run, it means I’m in Telluride, which is always a good thing. 3800 vertical feet in a relaxing nine minutes. Enjoy!

Revelation Bowl & Avalanche

Telluride sits in the northern San Juan Mountains—a part of the Rockies notorious for its unstable snowpack.

A big, ugly beast of a natural avalanche put an exclamation mark on that this week.

Here’s a photo of the slide as seen from Telluride’s Revelation Bowl.

The slide was on a westerly aspect above Bear Creek Canyon, which is basically the exit point for all the lift-accessed backcountry skiing at Telluride. As far as I could tell this was a natural slide that did not involve any skiers. You can’t see it in this photo, but there is a roughly 4′ high crown at the start, stepping down to up to 10′ crowns below the cliff bands. A sobering reminder of what a truly reactive snowpack looks like—and what it can do.

Lots of fresh snow here in Telluride, Colorado, where I’m taking a little lift-served vacation. Video is helmet cam footage from the ContourHD 1080p. I upgraded from the 720p ContourHD to check out the new model. Interestingly, after a week of testing the camera, I decided I like the 720p better. There’s just too much shutter roll in the 1080p mode (you can see that here as distortion in the treetops whenever I hit a bump). Additionally, the 1080 mode uses a narrower view angle, which increases the effects of camera shake. I’ll get a full review of the 1080p ContourHD up in the next week or so.

Ah, where to begin? In the immortal words of Tech and Talk’s Chad, ‘A bad snake charmer always blames his snake.’ So I guess I can’t blame the snake. I knew, going in, that a ski traverse linking Mount Baldy and Iron Mountain via San Antonio Ridge was definitely pushing the limits. But still, something about staying close to home always makes me more inclined to be ambitious (more…)

The Civilian Corps Shelter

Maybe one of the things to remember an an El Nino year is that the storms love to ambush the Southland. I don’t think anyone was expecting the rain intensity we saw Friday through Saturday morning. I certainly wasn’t.

Saturday I drove to Palm Springs, figuring the tram would get me to snow with the least amount of winter driving. That was true in only the most technical sense: the drive itself proved to be the day’s biggest adventure, with rainfall between the 15 and 215 freeways on the 10 truly entering the awesome and frightening range. In hindsight, it would have been a good day to stay home (more…)

Level I — Claremont

• Classroom Session: Feb 16 and 18 (6:00-10pm in Claremont)
• Field Sessions: Feb 20 and 21st (8:00am to 4:00pm Mt. Baldy)
• $150

Level I — Snow Summit

• Classroom Session: March 7th at the patrol media room (8:00 – 4:00pm)
• Field Sessions: March 13 and 14th (Snow Summit Area (8:00-4:00pm)
• $150

Level II (TBA)

• Classroom Sessions will begin weekdays at the end of February (Claremont)
• Field Sessions will be in March (Mt. Baldy Area)
• Four Classroom Sessions (Tues and Thursday 6:00 – 10PM)
• Four Field Sessions
• $225

This is a terrific year to get out there for an avalanche class, as we’ve got abundant snow in mountains both near and far. For SoCal skiers, one big advantage of taking a class locally (in my opinion) is that you’re working directly with the snowpack you’re most likely to be skiing. Also, obviously, it makes fitting the class into your schedule quite a lot easier. And odds are good you’ll meet like-minded folks who’ll make good backcountry partners down the road.

Jeff’s courses are not AIARE-certified, but they are a tremendous bargain (especially that Level II class). Jeff has been teaching Level I and II avalanche courses for 11 years, and he has over 23 years experience in the field, including consulting for local resorts and government agencies as well as doing control at Mount Waterman and June Mountain ski areas. I attended one of Jeff’s avalanche seminars for rescue professionals last year; it was well-run, and well worth the time. If you’re on the fence about taking a class, this is a great opportunity. I highly recommend taking advantage of it.

For more info or to sign up, contact Jeff Pierce.